Category: game observations

UConn Takes Big Step in Conference Road Win Against Marquette

Hello, loyal readers! After taking a few days off to spend the holidays with family/friends, I have returned my game observations/recap on last week’s 78-70 win against Marquette. I admit I took my time to publish it when I saw that the team’s game against Xavier was cancelled due to COVID-19 (will likely be scheduled to be made up soon). While the Huskies (10-3, 1-1) played far from perfect, especially on the defensive end, it was reassuring to see them defeat a squad at home that has earned multiple impressive wins this season. Bolstered by the duo of R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin, who scored 45 points between them, and the return of Adama Sanogo, UConn responded to adversity and the crowd when the Golden Eagles (8-5, 0-2) rallied and solidified the win. Martin and Cole each reached career milestones in the win, with Martin surpassing the 1.000-point mark and Cole the 2,000-point mark.

The Huskies played their best offensive half in nearly a month (since aghast Auburn) in the first half, scoring 43 points to take a six-point advantage into halftime. Led by Martin (15 points) and Andre Jackson (eight), UConn shot 54.5% from the field. With both teams keeping one another off the offensive glass, the Huskies pushed the tempo more than it had in a long time and attacked the basket frequently, especially as the half wore on. After falling behind 16-11 6:26 in, UConn slowly crept back to take the lead and then went on a 10-2 run to take a 5-point lead, and later an 11-4 run with just over six minutes left in the half to take a 7-point lead.  

In just his second game back from injury, Martin was able to get wherever he wanted in the paint and from midrange and showed some surprising athleticism. Meanwhile, Jackson drained a three, did a strong job of finishing at the rim and facilitating for others and played solid defense. After a rusty start, Sanogo made a couple of nice jumpers in the half and finished with six points (also his final total on the day).

Despite its great offensive performance, UConn was only able to take a 43-37 lead into the break because of poor defense themselves. The Huskies allowed a Marquette offense not exactly known for its prowess to shoot over 70% early and over 50% in the half. While the Golden Eagles did a strong job of sharing the ball and attacking the basket, the defense did a poor job of communicating on high screens and pressuring defenders, leading to open shots on the perimeter and easy buckets inside. Super freshman Justin Lewis had nine points at the half.

UConn got off to a solid start in the second half and kicked off a 10-2 run with a Cole 3-pointer at the 15:17 mark, taking a 58-47 lead two minutes later on a 3-point play by Cole that featured a tough layup. Unfortunately, the Huskies quickly pulled their Jekyll-and-Hyde routine, allowing Marquette to go on an 11-2 run over the next four-plus minutes to cut the deficit to two. The Golden Eagles run featured five free throws as well as an easy layup right at the rim, as the defense had multiple breakdowns and was bullied at the rim. On offense, UConn’s ball movement became stilted when Jalen Gaffney briefly took over for Cole at point guard, and it began committing unforced turnovers and missing from the perimeter.

While the Huskies bent, they finally did not break, with RJ and Tyrese making sure to secure the win. After Marquette’s run made the score 62-60, the teams traded baskets and free throws the next few minutes, and Lewis’s layup made it 66-65 with 4:15 remaining. After Martin made one of two at the line, Kur Kauth blew a dunk, and the rest was history. Martin went on a 6-0 run by himself to give the Huskies a 72-65 lead and they would secure the win. He and Cole combined to score the last 14 points of the game, driving into the teeth of the defense again and again and earning acrobatic layups and free throws. UConn did a good job of handling the ball in the final minutes and finally made the choice to good scoring opportunities.

Martin led the team with 25 points on 9-16 shooting, going 6-8 at the line, and added six rebounds. Cole bounced back from a few tough shooting games to score 20 on 7-12 shooting and dropped seven assists. Jackson stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists and steals. Akok Akok made two threes and drabbed six boards. Lewis led the Golden Eagles with 20 points and Oliver Maxence-Prosper added 13 on 6-9 shooting.   

After blowing a chance at a huge road win at West Virginia and then the ugly loss to Providence, it was awesome to see UConn earn a strong road win and lead for a large majority of the game. While the loss to the Friars looms large, it seems like the team is heading in the right direction and will be able to get off to a strong start in the Big East against a tough schedule as Sanogo returns to full strength. Below, I look at all the positive observations the Huskies can take from this win as well as where the game showed they need to improve.   

Cole and Martin Demonstrate How Dangerous of a Duo They Can be

While Cole and Martin have gotten plenty of attention in their year-plus at UConn, the seniors had been overshadowed by Sanago earlier in the season when the trio played together. They shouldn’t be. Cole and Martin are the best all-around players on the team, and the emotional leaders of the team along with Isiah Whaley. They both have a lot of experience and poise, and are capable of generating offense and carrying the scoring load, even when they are not necessarily shooting their best. The pair’s games match up perfectly. Cole, who is averaging 16.3 points and 4.7 assists and has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games, is the natural scorer who can make tough shots at any time and stretch the floor. Martin, who is averaging 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, can beat defenders for easy shots in the paint as well as step out and hit jumpers, all while owning the boards.

I am not sure if the average UConn fan appreciates how valuable Cole and Martin are to the program. Both were already accomplished college players who have taken big steps forward this season and helped take on the scoring load vacated by James Bouknight. They have each shown that they can succeed as transfer players coming from mid-major/lower conferences, particularly Cole. While fans were frustrated about the lack of transfers added to this year’s squad, imagine the state the Huskies program could be in right now without the pair agreeing to come to Storrs. I look forward to seeing how much Cole and Martin can continue to grow and the further milestones they will reach going forward.

Andre Jackson and Akok Akok Continue to Show Their Bonafides

Over the last few games, Jackson has begun to consistently show the versatility and playmaking that has gotten fans so excited and writers to product that he can be an NBA draft pick. Jackson constantly pushed the pace in the game and created transition layups and great scoring opportunities for teammates. He continues to improve at handling the ball, a skill UConn desperately needs, as well as work effectively off it. It’s really exciting to see Jackson cut down as his turnovers and (somehow)become an effective 3-point shooter, and he is emerging as essential cog for the Huskies, especially on offense and the boards. I can’t wait to see the player he will become by the end of the season.

While Akok isn’t quite the all-around player right now that Johnson is, he is slowly demonstrating strides as the season advances. Akok’s two early threes kick-started the UConn offense and he had six rebounds while also playing strong defense and recording a block. Akok’s rebounding and defensive skills and ability to score both at the rim and behind the arc allows him to make a valuable impact against almost any opponent, even if the matchups aren’t quite favorable. With Akok improving, I hope Hurley gives him consistent minutes against every opponent and uses him in the right spots. Akok has earned his faith.  

Welcome Back, Adama Sanago

The sophomore was far from his vintage self in his return from an abdanomal injury, but Adama played solid in his 12 minutes, making a couple of tough jumpers and recording two rebounds and a block. Sanago wasn’t as effective defensively as offensively, but this was understandable considering he had less stamina and game legs in general. My only big knock on Sanago is his three turnovers, which were caused multiple times by his reluctance to pass out of the post and instead force shots. As Sanago gets back into game shape and becomes a focal point of the offense, Hurley needs to emphasize the importance of Sanago sharing the ball better.

Defense MIA in Action at Times

It’s been rare that UConn’s offense has been better than the defense, especially against the best opponents, but it was definitely the case against Marquette. The Golden Eagles did a good job of creating shots and being aggressive at the rim, but that’s no excuse for all the miscommunication on screens or the Huskies being bullied at times inside, even Whaley (I never would have thought Whaley would have struggled that much with Lewis, as good as he is for a freshman). Some of the defensive inconsistency can be chalked up to lineup changes Hurley made and the ineffectiveness of Sanago, as well as his stubborn refusal to cut back on using the hard hedge or double-teaming. But the players need to realize that they cannot play defense like that against upper-echelon Big East teams and win.

Still Not Enough from the Bench

While Akok seems to be making a consistent impact in certain areas, the rest of his bench compatriots continue to underperform. The trio of Tyler Polley, Jordan Hawkins and Jalen Gaffney combined for just seven points on 2-8 shooting, with none playing over 11 minutes. Hawkins continues to struggle with his shooting and seemingly his confidence and Polley was again unspectacular from beyond the arc (1-3) and didn’t contribute in any other meaningful way. Gaffney played seven minutes, missing a 3-pointer and committing two turnovers, and the offense was inefficient with him manning the point. As usual, Samson Johnson and Rasool Diggins didn’t play at all.

Ultimately, Gaffney has played poorly this season against high-level competition, and you have to believe that Hurley was sending a message to him by demoting minutes. What I hope is that Hurley challenging Gaffney will light a fire under his ass, and that he can be motivated to address his game and become more disciplined and dynamic. Otherwise, Gaffney is going to lose minutes and duties preeminently to Johnson and Hawkins. UConn was able to get away with a quiet night from its bench due to the brilliance of Martin and Cole. This needs to change however, especially if Sanogo is slower to return to form than expected and other guys wear down. Guys like Gaffney and Polley need to demonstrate their strengths so that the Huskies depth is utilized best.

UConn Finally Shakes Off the Pressure

All season, opponents have been using full-court pressure to terrorize the UConn offense, which did a poor job executing against it and experienced extensive turnover trouble. Against Marquette, the Huskies finally looked patient and collected against the Golden Eagles 2-1-1 three quarters press. They were able to break it quickly and get the ball to open players, and Cole, Martin and Jackson all seemed to understand what to do to escape trouble against the press. Credit goes to Hurley for getting the players ready for dealing with the defense and Marquette’s strategy. Hopefully, that shows UConn will be able to respond to all defenses opponents throw at them going forward.

As discussed before, we don’t know when UConn will play next, with the game against Butler on Friday up in the air as scheduled right now depending on how players and coach’s test. Hopefully the Huskies won’t be rusty when they next play, but defeating Marquette is a huge win to build on.     

Observations on Providence Loss: UConn’s Offense is MIA at Home in Flat Performance

It’s hard to call a loss a worst-case scenario when the team you are rooting for only loses by four points.  UConn’s performance against Providence was pretty ugly at some points however, and exposed the biggest weaknesses the Huskies currently have without Adama Sanogo, even after the return of Tyrese Martin. They had a terrible stretch at the end of the first half and beginning of the second to fall behind by 15 points, and their admirable comeback effort was eventually foiled by poor execution on both ends. Poor shot selection, terrible perimeter shooting, overreliance on one player, weird substitution patterns, costly defensive mistakes…. you mention it, Saturday’s57-53 defeat at the XL Center had it.  It was a crappy way to start the program’s first home schedule with fans in two years and their first ever in the new Big East.

To ensure that this article is not too long, I am going to mainly just briefly focus on the most important stretches of the game before I get to the meet of the article, my observations on the game. After UConn took a 9-5 lead into the first TV timeout, the game entered a very ugly stretch, as it did not score a field goal for more than nine minutes after a Martin layup at the 15:20 mark. As already discussed, the Huskies and Tyler Polley and R.J. Cole in particular were struggling to make perimeter shots despite many of their opportunities being good looks, while blowing opportunities at the rim. UConn’s defense on the Friars was good enough that it managed to have a 21-20- lead with 3:09 remaining in the half. In its final stretch however, the Huskies fell apart on both ends and ultimately trailed 31-21 at the half. A.J. Reeves and Ed Croswell each made multiple 3-pointers and dunks, while UConn failed to score off multiple offensive rebounds.

After a poor start to the second half, a Martin three 4:35 in got UConn back within 10 at 39-29. The Friars shook off the trey and continued to execute well on offense, dominating the Huskies in the paint to go up 48-32 with 10:41 remaining. During this stretch, Croswell and Watson pushed around defenders and set up scoring opportunities through strong screens. UConn was doing a poor job of pressuring ball-handlers, and the lack of Sanogo or teammates to help out Whaley (calling out Akok Akok) made it very difficult for him to keep Watson and Croswell consistently in check. Meanwhile, the Huskies were forcing shots both outside and in the paint and looked to lack confidence on offense. They were also struggling with making adjustments to Providence constantly switching its defense. To the Huskies credit, they slowly clawed back after falling behind by 16. They executed a series of beautiful backdoor passes and shots at the rim that led to either baskets or fouls. UConn also finally begin hitting a few threes, with Andre Jackson of all people hitting two treys. The team tightened up its defense and forced the suddenly cold Friars into tough shots, while also benefiting from Providence’s poor free throw shooting. Polley’s 3-pointer (his only one of the day) made it 55-53 with 1:58 remaining and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

I will go more into UConn’s ugly performance on offense in the final two minutes, but let’s just say that it brought back memories of previous losses to West Virginia and Michigan State. The Huskies missed four 3-pointers in this stretch as well as a scoring opportunity off of an offensive rebound, and played poor defense on the Friars one basket during this stretch. It was a heartbreaking loss for the fans to stomach, and showed just how far UConn is right now to living up to its potential. UConn fell to 9-3 overall with the loss, with all these losses occurring with the team having at least one major player out and by a combined 11 points.

Below, let’s look at a series of observations about the Huskies third loss of the season and its first in conference. Why the tone of this story has been pretty negative so far, I promise all my observations are not.

The Offense is Ugly Right Now, especially on the Perimeter

Any loyal fans who read that headline will probably immediately reply, “no shit, Sherlock”. UConn shot 32.1% overall and 27.6% (8-29) from three, while also going just 7-13 at the line for good measure. In arguably six of the last seven games (notwithstanding the 88-59 win against Grambling State), the Huskies have arguably underperformed offensively and from deep, admittingly against quality teams. In the last three games against West Virginia, St. Bonaventure and Providence, UConn has shot 19-77, adding up to 24.7%. That’s an epic slump, and it’s almost impossible to believe things won’t average out to some extent.

Against the Friars, UConn’s struggles on the perimeter had large similarities to those in the previous two games. Providence deserves a lot of credit for their strong defense on the opposing shooters. Ultimately however, the Huskies either rushed or forced a lot of shots, including at the end of the game and consistently missed open shots, wasting good ball movement. Everybody joined in on the struggles, including the teams so called best shooters (Polley and Tyler Hawkins), Cole and a rusty Martin. As the crowd saw, UConn seemingly continues to hoist threes that are forced instead of performing the ball movement necessary to set up the best perimeter opportunities, and then hesitates when having quality open shots from the outside.

I know Dan Hurley is committed to having the Huskies shoot a lot of threes every game, and it made since somewhat to attack the paint less against Providence due to the Friars imposing front line. However, maybe it is time to be so heavily reliant on treys and look to score near the rim more, especially with Sanogo returning against Marquette. Let’s hope the tide starts to change by the end of the month with everyone healthy.

Poor Production from Most Experienced Members of the Lineup

Starting with Tyler Polley, UConn’s starters and main bench players almost all struggled against the Friars for a large percentage of the game. Polley has been catching a ton of flack lately and it is deserved, even if it may go over the top at times. Polley went just 1-7 against Providence, missing his first six attempts. Since the Auburn game, the senior forward seems completely lost, especially against the toughest competition. Part of the issue against Providence may have been that Polley seemed to take almost all his shots off screens and without being set, arguably making them tougher to make. If Polley again takes multiple threes against Marquette as part of the game plan, Hurley and UConn needs to do its best to make sure they are set shots. With Polley not contributing on the boards or supplying efficient defense despite his size, there is no reason he deserves the amount of playing time he gets unless he is on a hot streak and making attempts. Otherwise, give more time to Akok and Samson Johnson in place of Polley to help solidify the defense and provide additional perimeter threats.

It’s easy to gang up on Polley, but none of the most experienced team members have looked great in the last two weeks (besides Martin, obviously). With Martin and Sanogo out and the struggles of Jalen Gaffney, Cole has been asked to do way too much on both ends of the court while getting little rest. Cole has found it more difficult to score at the rim without the spacing Sanogo and Martin provide, and is going through one of his cold streaks shooting outside of the paint, which Cole showed he was susceptible to last season as well. While Cole has averaged just under 16 points per game in the last four contests, it has taken him 65 shots to do so. Against Providence, Cole shot 5-19 overall and 2-10 inside the arc, and many of these shots were forced or came late in the shot clock. When Cole is asked to pick up a huge load of the scoring slack he cannot focus as well on point guard responsibilities, and Gaffney hasn’t shown him consistent support.

 Speaking of Gaffney, he may be the player who I have been most disappointed with this season. The junior guard went scoreless in 24 minutes against the Friars while committing three turnovers. In the team’s six games against major competition, Gaffney has scored just 32 points, made no threes, and committed 13 turnovers against 14 assists, but played at least 20 minutes in most of these games. Across the board, a majority of Gaffney’s offensive numbers are worse than last season. While Gaffney’s defensive ratings are mixed, his weaknesses are visible against tough competition, such as his difficulty staying in front of quick guards and tendency to sell out for steals, which can lead to huge baskets by the player he’s supposed to be guarding. For example, Gaffney was out of position and late on Alijami’s Durham’s layup in the final minute against Providence, a basket that more or less sealed the game. Everything about Gaffney’s game-his reluctancy to attack the basket despite his athleticism and free throw shooting, commit inexplicable turnovers and waste way too much time bringing the ball up the court when playing point-is designed to frustrate me to death. At this point, Gaffney should start to lose minutes to Hawkins and Rashoul Diggins should be given the opportunity to play 5-10 minutes per game so Hurley can see his ball-handling and passing abilities. Maybe making such a move will light a fire under Gaffney and motivate him to reach his potential.  

While I don’t have much negative to say about how Isiah Whaley has played on either end recently, even he played inconsistent defense against Providence. The return of Sanogo should take some pressure off Whaley and give him more freedom to focus on playing defense and controlling the boards.

Please Come Save us, Adama Sanogo

UConn is a solid team without Sanogo, but they need him back and playing to full or almost full strength as soon as possible to get off to a strong start in the Big East. Sanogo is expected to play limited minutes tonight against Marquette, and the Huskies luckily will have a week off afterwards until playing at Xavier. The sophomore can immediately give UConn the potent scorer they need inside, improved rebounding and more reliable post defense and blocking, while allowing Whaley and Akok to be used more flexibly. With Sanogo, I am certain UConn would have won against Providence. Even if Sanogo can be a bit of a black hole on offense, he will make it better and more consistent. With a healthy Sanogo, the Huskies are one of the top teams in the conference and a Top 25 team.

Bring on Akok Akok and the kids

Despite getting two key blocks and rebounding well early against Providence, Akok was used less as the game went on and ultimately attempted just one shot in 16 minutes (a 3-pointer that he missed). After the loss, Hurley said that Akok had looked tentative on offense and got lost a few times on offense and I certainly don’t dispute those statements, especially in regards to the offensive end. As inconsistent as Akok is as he returns from injury and gets more up to game speed however, he is already showing offensive rebounding and shot blocking abilities that the Huskies are desperately in need of. Factor in his 3-point shooting success (8-14) this year and ability to stretch the floor, which no other big on UConn really has, how well he had just played against St. Bonaventure and the enthusiasm Akok brings to the team, and I think Hurley needs to be willing to give Akok more leeway if his body is up to it. Akok’s speed and size makes him a good fit against Marquette, so hopefully he will get more consistent minutes tonight.

Regarding Samson Johnson and Rashoul Diggins, what more can I say? Johnson has apparently been playing decent in practice and has occasionally shown solid scoring skills and rebounding in the limited minutes he has played. It would have made sense to give Johnson more of a chance to play with Sanogo out, and yet he was DNA against Providence and only played two minutes against St. Bonaventure. Hurley indicated Johnson may play some against Marquette, and there is no reason he shouldn’t get at least 5-10 minutes in the next few games as Sanogo gets back to full strength. I imagine Diggins must look poor (at least on defense) in practice if Hurley is not giving him any playing time against non-cupcakes, but with Gaffney struggling so much and Cole overwhelmed, it makes a world of sense to at least give Diggins five minutes or so to display his ball handling and passing abilities against Marquette. Finally, Hawkins needs to get more consistent minutes in the next few games with Polley in a shooting funk. IF Hawkins playing patterns made more sense, I would hope he would be more confident and able to get into a groove at times.

Kudos to Jackson and Martin on Their Play

For the second straight game, Jackson was probably UConn’s best player. He scored eight points and snatched down 14 rebounds (12 defensive) and knocked down two 3-pointers. Yes, Jackson again missed a few easy shots at the rim (stop trying to tip in the ball with one hand already). But he continues to look like the most energetic player out there and a great facilitator while slowly becoming more disciplined. Meanwhile, Martin got more up to speed as the game went on and finished with 15 points and five rebounds. I am confident he will be close to the same player he was early in the season within two weeks or so.   

Huskies Show the Right and Wrong Ways to Win in Important Pair of Games

A lot of UConn fans have already put the West Virginia and St. Bonaventure games behind them and are looking forward to Saturday’s game against Providence and the returns of Tyrese Martin and Adama Sanogo, with Martin all but guranteed to play and Sanago possibly. However, I think it will be good to take a look back at last week’s games against West Virginia and St. Bonaventure to see the lessons we can take from the Huskies successes and struggles, and how they will affect the matchup with the Flyers. Below, enjoy five observations on the games, with the Mountaineers and Bonnies.

 UConn finally proved it could win a tight game on Saturday after failing Wednesday

A major question at the beginning of the season was if UConn could consistently win close games that were decided late, something the program has struggled to do for multiple seasons. In the first 10 games of the season, the answer to that question was no, with the Huskies blowing late leads to lose in regulation to Michigan State and WVU and also doing so in the overtime wins against Auburn and VCU. While UConn could use the excuse of not having Isiah Whaley, Martin and Sanogo in at least one or two losses, part of being a quality team is winning despite injuries. It wasn’t just that UConn lost these games, but how they lost them. The team looked sloppy and nervous in all the aforementioned games and did a poor job of handling the ball and getting high-quality shots. Throughout these late-game stretches, the big theme throughout was poor basketball IQ on both ends of the floor. It didn’t help that any adjustments Danny Hurley made either were not visible or didn’t work, such as in inbounding situations. I have to admit that after the Huskies blew their lead against West Virginia, I was extremely frustrated and worried that they did not have the mental fortitude to beat St. Bonaventure. I was wrong.

Against St. Bonaventure, UConn executed well on offense in the final minutes to deny a comeback opportunity, making just enough plays on defense to ensure the victory. Led by R.J. Cole, the Huskies did an excellent job of handling the ball and showed a lot of smarts in attacking the basket and taking advantage of the Bonnies inability to avoid fouling. The plays in the last two minutes which defined the wins were 3-point plays on by Jalen Gaffney and Cole, which were both scored in traffic, and a dagger three by Tyler Polley with 44 seconds remaining, set up by good ball movement, to put the Huskies up by nine. The Bonnies missed two jumpers in the final two minutes. Dan Hurley appeared to do a good job of communicating with his players from the bench and making clear the offensive plays they should run during the stretch run. In the end, UConn’s finishing kick on Saturday ensured they would earn their second signature out-of-conference win before Big East play begins.

The Huskies x-Factors Come Through One out of Two Games

With Sanogo and Martin out every player besides Cole are x-factors for UConn to some extent, which mostly makes sense when you don’t have many players who can consistently generate their own shots. For the purpose of this exercise however, I am looking at Jordan Hawkins, Akok Akok and Andre Jackson as a trio who can help determine how far the Huskies ultimately can go.

In the 59-56 loss at West Virginia, this trio combined for just 14 points (10 by Jackson) and three assists on 6-17 shooting while committing five turnovers. Hawkins struggled in particular, going 0–7 from the field and committing four turnovers in 28 minutes. While Hawkins got a lot of good looks especially from three, he rushed his shots at times and continued to display his frustration. The freshman’s struggles shooting arguably caused him to lose confidence and affected his ball handling. Hawkins again lost control of his dribble multiple times and did not protect the ball well. While Akok is not normally looked to as a scoring threat, UConn needs more from him on that end with Sanogo and Martin out, and the junior was again MIA. Akok missed multiple shots close to the basket and went 1-5 from the field overall, and generally looked disengaged on offense. While he did an admirable job on the boards and finished with 10 (5 offensive), he failed to box out multiple times late in the game, allowing the Mountaineers to get to key offensive rebounds they converted into points. Akok did not show the strength and agility fans were hoping for and finished with just one block. Finally, while Jackson was actually fairly effective on offense and hit one of the team’s three threes, he was not quite as effective on the boards as usual and still played out of control at times, making a costly turnover late. Jackson was also consistently beat on defense or out of position, an issue that plagued Hawkins as well. If just one of these players had been better (especially if Hawkins had hit a few shots to allow for more spacing), UConn would almost definitely have won.

If the performances of Hawkins, Akok and Jackson were instrumental in the loss on Wednesday, they redeemed themselves on Saturday. The trio combined for 32 points on 11-18 shooting and 16 rebounds, and went 4-7 from three. They also did a much better job of controlling the ball, committing just three turnovers. Jackson had arguably the best all-around game of any Husky, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds and five assists while adding a steal. Jackson did an excellent job of playing under control and sharing the ball, while still using his explosiveness to get to the rim and deliver crisp passes to open teammates. Jackson showed much better shot selection than normal, using his speed to get easy scores at the basket, and ultimately hit all three of his shots. Jackson’s defense was also strong, as it was clear his pressure and length made it difficult for Bonnie players to get open shots in the paint.

Akok had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks and went 5-6 from the field, knocking down two 3-pointers. This was the first strong performance Akok has had against a high-quality team this season. The 6-9 forward showed good touch around the rim, but it was the two gorgeous threes he knocked down that were most exciting to see. Akok is now 8-13 from behind the arc this season, and if UConn can consistently make sure to get him shots from deep Akok could be a nightmare for teams to prepare for if he shoots well from there. Akok was outstanding on defense, consistently blocking and altering shots and limiting the impact of Osun Ossuniyi, an elite big man himself. When Whaley and Akok are playing the frontcourt together, they are absolutely one of the best defensive tandems in the Big East.                     

Finally, Hawkins got the much-needed boost of confidence he has been searching for multiple games and ultimately finished with 11 points in 20 minutes. After having missed 16 consecutive shots, Hawkins finally nailed an upon jumper with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game to give the Huskies a 46-39 lead.  He immediately responded with two more threes in the following two minutes which anchored a 13-0 run that gave UConn control of the game. The joy and confidence these shots gave him was very visible. Hawkins showed excellent form on these shots and moved well without the ball to get open, and it is clear Hurley believes in him and gives Hawkins the green light to shoot. If Hawkins can build up his confidence and be more selective in the shots he chooses, there is no reason he cannot became an excellent long-range shooter. Combine that with improved ball handling and defense, then Hawkins should be one of the Huskies very best players by the end of the season.

Jackson, Akok and Hawkins each of the power to elevate UConn at their best. Jackson’s speed and athleticism makes him a nightmare in transition for opponents, and he can be an excellent passer and rebounder and a dangerous defensive presence. Akok is the one traditional big on the Huskies who can stretch the floor and shoot from the perimeter, and is an accomplished shot blocker and rebounder. Finally, Hawkins can be the pure shooter and second quality ballhandler UConn needs at guard. These players have a lot of questions to answer, most prominently Jackson’s skill as a scorer, Akok’s durability and Hawkins ball-handling and confidence issues. But with their inexperience and developing games, the x-factors have nowhere to go but up in Big East play. Their success will largely determine the program’s both this year and the seasons to come.

R.J. Cole Continues to be the Man

It has been a tough challenge for Cole to be both the primary ball-handler and scorer with Martin and Sanogo out, and there were times against both West Virginia and St. Bonaventure where he struggled mightily. In the end however, Cole was there to make the big play for the Huskies when they needed it.

Cole scored 29 combined points against the Mountaineers and Bonnies on 11-26 shooting and had six assists. Cole again demonstrated his strength and ability to score in the points in the games as well as his passing. Against the Bonnies (15 points), Cole worked around his struggles behind the arc by getting to the free throw line, hitting 4-6, and also did a very efficient job of running the offense. In both games, Cole played solid defense and had three steals against West Virginia. His ability to get to the line and score late against the Bonnies demonstrated his ability to take over for the Huskies when needed. As the season as gone on, Cole has asserted himself more and more as a team leader, and his communication skills and ability to give teammates confidence were visible in these games. Cole will likely have to shoulder less of the load as Martin and Sanogo return, but no one questions whom the Huskies alpha dog is.

Some Things Change, but UConn’s 3-point Shooting Woes Stay the Same

Entering the season, UConn’s ability to consistently shoot well behind the arc was a big question, and so far the team has failed that test. The team is shooting 35% from three on the season, but against high-quality teams (major conference and A-10 opponents), that rate drops to 28.2%. Since the team shot the lights out from three against Auburn, it has shot 22.7% against teams in that category. UConn shot 3-21 against the Mountaineers and 8-27 against the Bonnies. These struggles can be chalked up to a few factors, with examples being the Huskies just not making open shots, proven marksmen like Polley and Cole underperforming (as well as Hawkins), and the team either rushing or forcing shots instead of being more discerning in their selection. You have to believe that these numbers will come up at least somewhat due to the law of averages. However, UConn will continue to lose some close games (like they did against the Mountaineers) if they don’t improve from behind the arc from game to game.

The Huskies are Ultimately on the Right Track

Before the week began, I was expecting UConn to go 1-1, as I thought it would be difficult for UConn to win against a good team on the road, after not playing an away game with fans for roughly a year and a half. As tough as the loss to West Virginia was, it demonstrated where the team needs to improve to beat good opponents, and the Huskies used those lessons to outplay St. Bonaventure. It seems like there is a lot of momentum around the team and it has confidence, and UConn has at times showed the much-ballyhooed depth people said would be one of the team’s greatest strengths. Tomorrow is going to be a crazy environment at home against a big-time rival in Providence, and UConn is better than the Friars on paper and matches up well with them. With Martin and possibly Sanogo back, a win and good performance by the x-factors could be huge and put the team in good position to start Big East Play with a winning streak.     

Abscence of Tyrese Martin and Adama Sanogo Could Continue to Hurt Huskies Going Forward

When I first heard that senior forward Tyrese Martin and sophomore center Adama Sanogo would each be out for a few weeks with different injuries, I must admit that my first thought was “fuck! How does this keep happening to the Huskies?”. Let’s admit, the UConn program has experienced a lot of major injuries which have thrown wrenches into its seasons in recent years (see multiple injuries to Alterique Gilbert, Akok Akok and Tyler Polley’s ACL tears, James Bouknight’s elbow injury last season, and Jalen Adam’s MCL sprain in 2019). Luckily, neither injury does not seem to be as bad as fans first imagined, and both Martin and Sanogo are ahead of schedule in their rehab processes. After defeating University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Grambling State to improve to 8-1, the Huskies lost their second game of the season to West Virginia Wednesday and will have their hands full this week trying to gameplan for a quality St. Bonaventure team on Saturday (likely) without two of their best players. And don’t forget the beginning of Big East play.

While I will examine UConn’s performances against the three teams they played without the duo, let’s first look at how the absence of Martin could affect UConn against Maryland and St. Bonaventure, as there is a possibility he could make an appearance against St. Bonaventure (he is a game-time decision as of Friday night). Before injuring his wrist during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament that sidelined him for 2-4 weeks prior to the game against UMES beginning on November 30th, Martin was averaging 12.9 points and 7.7 rebounds (currently ranking third and second on the team) and is second on the team in field goal shooting at 53%. On KenPom, Martin is first in true shooting and effective field goal shooting percentages of 59.2% and 58.3%.

As previously discussed in this space, Martin is by far my favorite player on the Huskies. Since arriving in Storrs from URI, he has been one of the team’s best rebounders and defenders and a reliable scoring option. Martin has been a more versatile offensive player this year, improving his finishing at the rim and his 3-point shooting (43.8% on 16 attempts). While Martin is a natural small forward, he can also play at small forward or shooting guard in certain situations. His most distinguishing traits may be his leadership abilities and toughness. Martin frequently visibly demonstrates to opponents that he, and by extension the entire team, cannot be pushed around. Martin was at his best during the Battle 4 Atlantis, averaging 12 points and over nine rebounds and recording a double-double against Michigan State. When you sum this all up, I think Martin is the team’s best all-around player, just ahead of Sanogo. 

Martin’s absence would be deeply felt against St. Bonaventure. Against the Bonnies, Martin would provide a reliable defensive presence against their quality offenses. St. Bonaventure limits turnovers and blocks well as of Thursday night and shoots well inside the arc. He would likely be a primary defender on Jalen Adaway, who is averaging 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds and could take on an even bigger role if Kyle Lofton doesn’t play for the Bonnies. On offense, Martin could have helped UConn score effectively in the paint and given it a huge lift behind the arc, as teams shoot 33.9& from three against St. Bonaventure. Finally, Martin could have provided a huge lift on the boards, as the Bonnies are not particularly strong in this area.

Martin’s biggest competition for best all-around player on the Huskies is Sanogo, who will be out close to a month due to an abdominal strain after injuring himself against Grambling State. Sanogo, arguably the best big man in the Big East as a sophomore, is averaging 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in eight games. Sanogo has a true shooting percentage of 57.9% and a block rate of 6.8%. Sanogo has three 20-point games, and at his best is unstoppable against defenders, constantly bulling him. He scored 30 points and had six rebounds in the tournament win against Auburn, scoring in a variety of ways. Sanogo’s two big weaknesses as a player right now are his reluctance to pass out of the post when covered and a tendency to get into foul trouble, though he has improved in the second area a lot this week.

Against St. Bonaventure, Sanogo could have gone toe-to-toe with the “6-10” Osun Ossuniyi on both ends, who’s averaging 3.3 blocks. Sanogo’s ability to block shots and shooting touch would have allowed him to have a solid game against the Bonnies. Looking ahead one game, Sanogo’s absence could hurt the Huskies on the 21st against Providence, as Friars center Nate Watson is averaging 15 points and 5.3 rebounds.

With no Martin and a limited Sanogo against UM-ES, UConn’s performances have been inconsistent so far between that game and West Virginia. Against a poor UM-ES squad, the Huskies played their worst game of the season and won by just nine points (72-53). They looked flat throughout, with RJ Cole (25 points and four assists) and Tyler Polley (14 points) basically dragging them to the win. UConn shot just 43.7% and outrebounded UM-ES just 33-30. UM-ES shot 47.1% and was in the game until the very end.

The Huskies rebounded against Grambling State last Saturday, winning 88-59. UConn dominated the boards, outrebounding GSU 48-33, and limited GSU to 39% shooting while forcing 16 turnovers and earning 10 blocks. Cole overcome a poor shooting day to go 10-11 at the line and score 18 points. He added seven assists and four steals. Whaley continued to be a rock inside, going for 12 and 8, and Jordan Hawkins recovered from a tough few game to score 15 points and knock down three treys. Akok Akok, had one of his best games of the season, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds.

If the depth UConn displayed against GSU made any fans think winning at West Virginia could be easy, they had another thing coming. The Huskies were a mess offensively for much of the game against the Mountaineers excellent D, and again lacked composure and efficiency at the end of a close game in the 56-53 loss. While much of the blame for the loss can be put at the feet of the Huskies shooting 3-21 from beyond the arc, there were a ton of other issues. The team’s ball handling was atrocious at times and UConn finished with 16 turnovers. Its rebounding was also lackluster, as the Huskies allowed WVU to earn 12 offensive rebounds and did a poor job boxing out. Finally, there was a huge disparity among the teams in foul shots and UConn went just 6-11 at the line. Their offensive showing negated an excellent defensive performance. The Huskies held the Mountaineers to 39.6% shooting and had eight steals. Their scoring was very unbalanced, as Taz Sherman and Sean McNeal scored 39 of the 56 points. Cole and Whaley were again UConn’s best players, scoring 14 (along with three assists and steals) and 15 points respectively. Cole had consecutive threes midway through the second half to finally put the Huskies in front for the first time.   

The Huskies were able to overcome their offensive limitations and the pressure of the Mountaineers defense by dominating the paint and especially executing well on cuts in the first 30 minutes and were eventually able to take a 47-43 lead. From this point on however, West Virginia successfully upped the pressure even more and crawled back to tie the game. In the final five minutes, UConn had three turnovers, all generally unforced, multiple shot clock violations, scored just four points and committed six fouls. Even more concerning, Husky players were unable to adjust at all to a 1-3-1 zone that WVU coach Bob Huggins threw at UConn, and everyone besides Cole and Whaley looked like they didn’t want to take such high-pressure shots.      

West Virginia was a loss that made me want to panic, as silly as that sounds. It wasn’t the fact that UConn lost, as this wasn’t a big surprise when the time was playing in a hostile environment down two strong players. It was having to see UConn crumble in the final minutes of a game again, with the team unable to avoid silly mistakes or adjust. I don’t know how much that is on the players just screwing up or not being prepared in general partially due to Danny Hurley. Eventually however, the program must show the ability to hold the lead in close games, particularly if they are on the road. Even as Hurley has gained more talent, he and his players have not demonstrated this is a major step they can take.

UConn should get the chance to prove they can win a close game against St. Bonaventure, particularly if Kyle Lofton (17.4 points and roughly six assists) returns to play and Martin is not available. If he does, it would change the complexion of the game. Even down two players however, the Huskies have faced tougher competition and the Bonnies defense does not measure up too many teams UConn has played). To win, the team will have to cut down on mistakes, adjust if their offensive approach is not working, and continue to rebound and defend well. I will give the Huskies the benefit of the doubt and say they get their second high-quality out of conference win. If they do, the WVU loss will be a blip on the radar. If UConn loses again however, I would be concerned about the team’s state of mind entering Big East play.

Examing Takeaways from the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament

Hello all, and welcome to another year of UConn men’s basketball coverage here at Husky Nation! I have had some technical issues with the website recently that prevented me from publishing content, but these have been ironed out and I now should be bringing you regular coverage of this year’s Huskies squad.

It has certainly been an interesting start to the season. UConn started the season with four impressive wins, but all against extremely weak competition. It was presented with its first real tests at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas Thanksgiving week, and fans were treated to three exciting games. The Huskies won a 115-109 shootout against a ranked Auburn squad in double overtime last Wednesday. On Thanksgiving, it coughed up a late lead to Michigan State and fell 64-60 but recovered the next day to win a rock fight in overtime against VCU, 70-63. The two wins earned UConn a third-place finish in the tournament and moved their AP rating up to No. 17. The team moved to 7-1 on Wednesday despite a poor performance against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

I will publish an article after the Huskies game against Grambling on Saturday focusing on their performance without the injured Tyrese Martin, but I first wanted to focus on UConn’s performance in the Bahamas. The tournament showed the best and worst tendencies of UConn, as well as the mental fortitude this squad has. Below, I have a list of the most essential observations I saw during the tournament. I hope you enjoy!

UConn Showed It Won’t Be Out-Toughed

The Huskies were without Isiah Whaley against Michigan State and Martin had to deal with a wrist injury throughout the tournament. They started each game off slow and trailed at the half to both Michigan State and VCU. UConn was ineffective on offense for long stretches against MSU and VCU, two of the best defenses in the country who successfully made these games ugly. And of course, the Huskies had a ton of trouble holding the lead late and handling pressure defense against all three teams, costing them a win against MSU. And yet, it didn’t really matter in the end. UConn overcame fatigue and various weaknesses to play all out in each game. Their hustle and teamwork were outstanding, especially on the defensive end, and their ability to execute on both ends in the winning overtimes was very promising. Throughout Dan Hurley’s tenure, the program has had trouble winning close games and in overtime against high-quality teams. This tournament gave me the confidence that won’t be the case again.

The Senior Stars Showed They’re the Heart and Soul of This Team   

The trio of RJ Cole, Tyrese Martin and Isiah Whaley certainly have their weaknesses as individual players. But they are greater than the sum of their parts as a group, and the Huskies certainly would have lost to these tournament opponents if each senior hadn’t played their best individually and as a trio at the most important moments. Cole was UConn’s best offensive player in the tourney and was great against Auburn and VCU, scoring a combined 50 points in 88 minutes with eight assists and four steals. Cole shot 8-18 from three in the wins while going 16-18 from the line. Cole made clutch shots from both beyond the arc and at the rim, and these shots along with his free throws carried UConn to both wins. Cole also did a solid job of managing the offense and played good defense at times throughout the tournament.

If Cole was the team’s most indispensable offensive player, Whaley was their most indispensable defender. The big man was the one Husky who could consistently stop Auburn players at the rim, recording seven rebounds (three offensive) and five blocks in 43 minutes to go along with four assists. Whaley returned against VCU after being forced to miss the game against MCU doing to fainting at the end of the first game and was every bit of effective on defense while also coming up huge on offense. He had four rebounds and two assists and steals and scored 16 points while going 3-3 from behind the arc, including the trey that sent the game to overtime. Whaley’s energy and hustle was infectious for the while team. His ability to affect shots allowed UConn to shut down VCU at the end of regulation and in overtime. I have no doubt that the Huskies would have beaten MSU if Whaley was available.

And now, we come to Martin, the man who has been the team’s best two-way player throughout the season. Despite injuring his elbow against Auburn (a fracture that will now keep him out 2-4 weeks), Martin fought threw it to average 12 points and over nine rebounds in the tournament on 44% shooting. Martin recorded 13 points on 5-9 shooting and eight rebounds against Auburn and had eight rebounds against VCU, and was also outstanding against MSU, earning a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Martin was able to bang with all three teams and overpowered their offense at times and was the most visibly aggressive player on the court. The trio seemed to also be the leaders of the time during timeouts and huddles and helped to make sure younger teammates were composed. With Martin out for a few weeks, Cole and Whaley are going to have to improve their games and take on an even greater leadership role. It will be interesting to see if they are up to the challenge. Ultimately, I think UConn will only go as far as Cole, Whaley and Martin can take them.

An Inability to Handle the Press and Close Out Games Continues to Plague the Program     

If you asked dedicated fans coming into the season what they hoped to see from UConn, I’m sure a common hope would be that the Huskies would be more prepared when facing the press and finding ways to break it after this being a huge weakness in 2020-21. Similarly, fans would say that UConn needed to do a better job of adding on to leads late, instead of becoming flustered and making mistakes that put opponents in position to come all the way back. `In both areas, the fans, players and coaches did not get the results they were looking for.

First, UConn seemed lost how to handle the press against Auburn and VCU, which both rely on it heavily. It had difficulty passing over and inbounding against the press and not getting trapped, resulting in multiple costly turnovers, ballhandlers (particularly Cole), being trapped along baseline corners and it taking a long time to set up offensive possessions. It didn’t help teammates failed to move towards ballhandlers to help make it easier to pass and subsequently get down the court. The struggles against the press were key to helping Auburn and VCU force overtime. Hopefully, they were a wake up for UConn and the team will work hard in upcoming practices to refine their approach against the press and Hurley will help his players realize the best strategies towards handling it. Opponents who are capable of running the press effectively will certainly run it against the Huskies until they demonstrate facing it is not a weakness.

Meanwhile, UConn let Auburn come back to force overtime in the first game and MSU to win and had to make a last-second shot to even keep the game going against VCU. In the first two games UConn easily became flustered and showed poor communication and basketball IQ on offense, while doing a poor job of limiting penetration on defense. The Huskies seemed to be playing not to lose in the games and Hurley did not appear to be able to get the team refocused during timeouts. UConn was lucky to get on track in overtimes, but it might not be so lucky in similar games going forward. The team needs to work on end-of-game drills in practice to try and mimic these situations, and come together the next time they are in a game coming down to the wire.

Adama Sanogo is a Mixed Bag   

Sanogo was brilliant on offense throughout against Auburn and at times against Michigan State. At the same time, he generally played solid defense and did a strong job of defending the rim. At the same time, his extreme reluctance to pass the ball out slowed down the offense and caused turnover issues. Ultimately however, any college basketball fan watching the tournament unfamiliar with UConn would have immediately realized Sanogo is one of the best big men in the country.

Sanogo had the best game of his young career against Auburn and the best a Huskies big has had in a long time. The sophomore was unstoppable, scoring 30 points in 30 minutes on 12-25 shooting while going 6-7 from the line and recording six rebounds and two blocks. Sanogo showcased his soft touch and abilities to score over each shoulder and bully defenders down low. Sanogo was again strong on offense and especially defense against Michigan State, earning a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds and smacking six blocks. Sanogo was slowed down by foul trouble and an abdominal injury against VCU, but still recorded seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sanogo was frequently the best player in the tournament and showed he could take over the game at times against quality competition.

And now here comes the negatives. Sanogo almost never attempted to pass the ball back out after getting it in the paint, even if he was unable to get in a quality position. This led him to become a black hole on offense when he wasn’t making shots and allowed all three opponents to double and triple-team Sanogo at will, causing him to be susceptible to turnovers. Sanogo turned it over eight times against Auburn and had 13 overall in the tournament. I recognize Sanogo is still a raw player offensively who is likely uncomfortable passing the ball out, and it doesn’t help that his teammates don’t put themselves in better positions to receive passes. But if Sanogo doesn’t develop his passing game as well as his shooting range, defenses can form clear game plans to stop him and the team’s offense will stall out. I am confident Sanogo can become a more versatile offensive player over the next two months and ultimately the best big in the Big East.

Jordan Hawkins Showed He Can Be UConn’s Next Star on a Big Stage    

During the preseason, it was said that Hawkins would have the impact on freshman-year James Bouknight and soon became the next great Huskies guard. Hawkins has only shown flashes of that potential so far, but when he’s been at his best like he was against Auburn he’s thrilling to watch.

Hawkins demonstrated his ability to score from all over the floor against the Tigers, scoring 16 points in 16 minutes. He shot 5-7 overall, making all three treys he took, and went 3-4 from the line. Hawkins displayed a beautiful stroke and the ability to get open without the ball and beat defenders. His performance in the next two games was much more inconsistent. Hawkins scored just six points overall on 2-8 shooting in 28 minutes against Michigan State and VCU, missing good looks and seemingly ignored by teammates at times despite being open, possibly due to doubts they had in Hawkins ability to handle the ball cleanly. He still used his athleticism to make a big difference on defense against MSU however, earning three blocks and two steals. While Hawkins performance was mixed overall in the tournament and his ball handling left something to be desired, it was a net positive overall.

Hawkins will have to become a better ball handler and consistent defender to reach his potential as a freshman. He also needs to manage his emotions better and not constantly wear them on his sleeves (which he did after a costly turnover against Auburn and after being frustrated with not getting the ball more). From everything I’ve seen however, Hawkins should earn more minutes and maybe even a starting spot if he improves and UConn’s guard play remains inconsistent. With Martin out, it’s now Hawkins chance to seize the moment.

Where Are Thou, Akok Akok?       

Akok went scoreless in 33 tournament minutes, going 0-5. Akok had nine combined rebounds but just one block (against AU) after two games with three blocks to start off the season. Akok did not match up well with any of the teams, which had bigger and faster frontcourt players. In the limited minutes Akok played, he looked somewhat lost and hesitant on both ends, and rarely showed the speed and athleticism that can make him such an effective rebounder and shot blocker. Against tougher competition, it was clear that Akok is still not the same player he was before his ACL injury, even if he and Hurley claim Akok is fully healthy. Akok remained a non-entity against UMES, recording two points and rebounds in just four minutes. Fans probably need to temper their expectations for Akok, but as he gets back up to game speed, his skills in transition, 3-point shooting and defense in the paint should allow him to have a big impact against the right teams. While Martin is it, Akok will be challenged more and forced to take on a bigger role on both ends. With Akok, it’s all about the right matchups. It is on himself to improve.

UConn’s 3-point shooting is again all over the place

 Hurley and the Huskies desperately wanted to strengthen their 3-point shooting and become a more balanced offense this season. At Atlantis, UConn demonstrated how making threes can make its offense way more dynamic. The Huskies, who shot 36.4% over the three games, basically won the game from beyond the arc against Auburn, draining 15-26 treys. Tyler Polley, who I briefly discuss more below, made 6-9 threes. In contrast, they probably lost the game from the perimeter against MSU, going 2-16. The Huskies weren’t very good against VCU either, going 7-24, but Whaley stepped up with three treys, a welcome sight as Whaley is trying to develop his 3-point shooting. And of course, Cole was excellent from beyond the arc the entire tournament, going 10-20 and making clutch threes constantly. While UConn can be a much better team if it could be more efficient from beyond the arc against tough competition, it is nice to see how Cole, Martin and Gaffney have all improved significantly on their 3-point shooting this season.

I just want to speak about Polley for a moment. He arguably won the Auburn game for UConn with his 3-point shooting in overtime, but in the seven other games he has been terrible from three, shooting under 22%. On the year, Polley is shooting 31.7% from there, continuing his downward trend from last season. There is no way Polley can perform at that level and get regular minutes, even if he continues to be more aggressive in attacking the basket. Polley’s distinguishing role on this team is as a 3-point specialist, and despite his “6-9” frame he has never shown the rebounding or defensive skills he should be capable of. Polley will have every opportunity to earn more minutes with Martin out, but he must improve his shooting while also becoming a more complete player to keep them.

When Will UConn be Able to Get Off to Hot Starts?

It doesn’t matter the quality of the opponent or the layoff between games: UConn has not played well at the start of the game against all eight opponents. While the team has overcome this against low-major teams and Auburn, it took them until the second half to get the lead against MSU and they barely led in the VCU game until overtime. I am not sure what the Huskies can do to change their fortunes other than maybe beginning with a different starting lineup or playing more up-tempo to start things off. If UConn continues this habit against good teams however, it will lose a few games it shouldn’t.    

Observations on win against Georgetown: UConn has unforgettable offensive performance, everyone chips in, and defense shows up in first half

Going into Saturday’s contest against Georgetown, UConn was determined to avoid a letdown of any kind. It needed a win to ensure a berth in the NCAA tournament, and wanted one last regular season opportunity to show just how good the Huskies could be in front of a national television audience. Danny Hurley certaintly emphasized this to players, reminding them again and again leading up to the game to not relax and let up in any way.

Well, guess what? Hurley and the fans had nothing to worry about. On Senior Day, UConn came out and absolutely blasted the Hoyas off the floor in the first few minutes and never let off on the offensive end, and their defense in the first half was outstanding as well. The Huskies grabbed an astounding 51-24 lead at halftime, the largest deficit the program has led at halftime in more than a decade. They then cruised in the second half even as the defense slipped, ultimately winning 98-82. UConn improved to 14-6 and 11-6 in the Big East, its fourth consecutive win and six in seventh games This locked up third place in the Big East for it. Georgetown ended the regular season 9-12 and 7-9 in conference, which ended up being eighth.

Six players ultimately scored in double figures for the Huskies, led by James Bouknight with 21 and Jalen Gaffney with 15. Tyrese Martin, Isiah Whaley, Tyler Polley and Adama Sanogo each were in double figures as well, and Sanogo had a double-double with 10 rebounds R.J. Cole struggled to score but dished out eight assists. UConn shot 59.3% and 12-28 from three, good for 42.9%. The 12 threes were a season high, as were the 51 first-half points. The 98 points were the most the program has scored in a conference game since the 104 the 2016 squad put up against Cincinatti in the AAC tournament quarterfinals. The Huskies also won the rebounding battle and had more assists and blocks than Georgetown.

UConn established its dominance from the opening tip. They sprinted out to a 15-2 lead and made six of its first seven shots while holding the Hoyas scoreless for the first 3:30. Bouknight scored eight out of these points, knocking down two gorgeous 3-pointers and making a dunk. Whaley was also strong early, making a wide-open 3-pointer and scoring five points. The defense immediately made its presence felt. It consistently challenged shots in the paint and guarded the passing lanes well, forcing turnovers and generally making it difficult for Georgetown to move the ball and find open shots.

As the half went on, the Huskies began to get help from others besides just Bouknight and Whaley. Gaffney went off, making four consecutive baskets for 1o points to give them a 33-16 lead with 7:21 left in the half. Both of Gaffney’s threes as well as a dunk were assisted on by Cole. Gaffney used his athleticism to beat defenders going to the basket and moved well without the ball on the perimeter to hit his open threes. Martin and Josh Carlton would each end the first half strong. Martin hit multiple jumpers and did a great job finishing around the rim, ultimately making five of his six 2-pointers on the day. Carlton finished around the rim and at the line and scored seven points in the half. Throughout the first half, the Huskies did an outstanding job of pushing the tempo, sharing and handling the ball and taking intelligent shots.

UConn struggled with foul trouble at times in the first half at times but was still extremely effective, limiting Georgetown to 30% shooting and not allowing any 3-pointers. Half of the Hoyas points came at the free throw line. Throughout the half, Sanogo (who finished with two blocks), Carlton and Whaley defended the paint well and altered shots, while the Huskies guards and Martin played tight defense on Georgetown’s guards and forwards and forced costly turnovers that continuisly led to fastbreak baskets, while also denying these players on the perimeter.

In the second half, both offenses were on fire and played fast and loose, while the defenses appeared disengaged for much of the final 20 minutes. UConn scored 47 but the Hoyas outscored it by 11. The Huskies continued to get scoring from a number of players and moved and rebounded the ball well, while Georgetown attacked the basket effectively and finally began to get going on the peremiter. The Hoyas hit eight of 13 threes after not making one in the first half, with Jhavon Blair going 4-5 and Chudier Bile 3-3 from behind the arc. I am sure Hurley will harp on UConn’s defensive performance in the second half leading up to the Big East tournament.

The Huskies offense was great in every area. They scored 32 points in the paint and 17 fastbreak points and outrebounded Georgetown 35-26. 11 players ended up scoring for UConn. All the seniors had solid days, as Whaley finished 11 points and went a perfect 5-5 from the field, Polley had 11 and hit three 3-pointers, and Carlton had seven points and rebounds in 13 minutes. Seven players had multiple assists, with Cole having the aforementioned eight and Andre Jackson three.

Georgetown ultimately shot 46.6% for the game and went 20-25 from the line. Blair led it with 22 points, and Qudus Whab had 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-11 shooting and Bile 15. Dante Harris earned six assists and Bile three steals. The Hoyas finished with 13 turnovers to 11 assists. They entered the game having won four of five contests.

As of Monday night, UConn was ranked 23rd on KenPom and considered a lock for the NCAA tournament by nearly all prognasticators. The team is a trendy pick to win the Big East tournament after injuries to Villanova, and after Saturday’s decisive win it is clear the Huskies are playing their best basketball of the season. They will face the winner of the first round contest between No. 6. Providence and No. 11 DePaul in the Big East quarterfinals on Thursday. If the players can continue to stay focused and execute at a high level, there is no telling what the ceiling is for this team.

Below are my game observations on the win against Georgetown:

The team functions as a complete unit

There’s no doubt that UConn is defined by James Bouknight, and to a lesser extent Cole. However, myself and other observers have harped on how important the team’s depth is to its success, and this win was a perfect illustration of that. While Bouknight helped get the offense going at the start of the game, his teammates immediately got involved themselves in either scoring or setting up opportunities (as in the case of Cole and Jackson). Martin was more efficient and aggressive on the offensive end after going scoreless in the previous game, and Gaffney built upon some recent promising play. He did not hesitate at all when open and made a variety of shots, going 6-6 from the field. This was tied for Gaffney’s second-highest scoring game of the year. The only player who went scoreless was Andrew Hurley, who played less than a minute.

As discussed above, UConn kept its foot on the pedal on offense even after getting its large early lead and refrained from playing one-on-one basketball, with players instead constantly getting their teammates involved. Combine that with outstanding shooting from a number of players and good ball handling, and the Huskies had a recipe for running up the score.

That gang mentality and depth was seen on the bards and defense as well. While Sanogo and Carlton took on the rebounding load, 10 different players grabbed a board and six had multiple rebounds. The defensive performances were great in the first half, with the guards setting the tone by the turnovers they helped cause and the big men through the shots they either blocked or altered. Some of the Husky defenders are raw or inconsistent, but neither all of them have become better over the course of the season and showed their skills in that half.

The ability of multiple players besides Bouknight to step up on either end of the floor will be very valuable in the Big East tournament. While I expect Bouknight to play very well in the tournament, all the teams will be keying in on him and do their best to limit the sophomore’s scoring opportunities. There will be opportunities for others, and if they can pick up the scoring load then UConn will be able to win the championship as long as the defense plays at a high level. I look forward to seeing if the Husky players can come through in this manner on that stage.

UConn finally got off to an excellent start

Throughout the season, the Huskies have more often than not fallen behind early in games, a habit that has continued even during the team’s strong recent performances. That was why it was so rewarding to see UConn blow Georgetown out of the water early and establish that they had control of the game early in the first half. While the Hoyas don’t exactly have a great defense, the Huskies executed well enough that there was no chance at a Georgetown comeback when combined with UConn’s strong defense. It needs to start its conference tournament games with that same killer intensity to maintain momentum.

The seniors all have the Senior Day they deserve

Isiah Whaley, Tyler Polley and Josh Carlton certainly haven’t had a regular senior year. After having had their junior seasons cut short by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio have had to deal with the game and practice schedules being affected heavily by the pandemic, injuries to teammates as well as themselves, and various struggles on the court. Each of them had memorable performances on Senior Day in front of their families and friends while leading UConn to the win. Whaley had 11 points and shot 5-5, Polley scored 11 and hit three 3-pointers, and Carlton had an excellent first half and put up seven points and rebounds. Whether any of them return for a fifth year or not, they have given a ton to the program and shown a lot of loyalty and development. I am so happy they will have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA tournament.

Jalen Gaffney shows his offensive abilities

Over the last few games, Gaffney has shown brief flashes of his athleticism and offensive skills. That all came together against Georgetown. The sophomore showed a great stroke from deep and was smart when taking the ball to the basket, and again demonstrated that he can beat any guard defending him using his strength and speed. While Gaffney has dhown over the course of the season that he is better when playing off ball, he also did an efficient job of running the offense when filling in for Cole at point, and had multiple assists for the second time in three games. Gaffney still has a long way to go to become a quality defender, but he should be able to be a valuable offensive piece in the conference and NCAA tournaments in the right situations. He just needs to continue to take those opportunities and not shy away from them.

UConn is establishing itself as a threat in tournament play and a darling of writers

With Bouknight the Huskies are 10-2, and since the second half in their first game at Georgetown on Feb. 23rd they have outscored opponents by 59 points. They are playing great on offense since his return and nearly as good on defense. As alreadt mentioned, UConn was ranked 23rd in KenPom as of Monday night and have also shot up in NET and other ranking systems. It seems like every progranasticator is picking the team to win the Big East tournament after the issues Villanova and Creighton are experiencing, and it seems feasable the Huskies could be a seven seed in the NCAA tournament if they win in the Big East quarterfinals and even higher if they win in the semifinals or the whole tournament. I certainly expect UConn to win at least one game in the Big tournament and have a shot at winning it outright, although I feel they could have a harder path than people believe right now. I will maintain the same stance I have had for a while: If the Huskies play at their highest level, they can beat anyone, even a No. 1 seed.

Observations on win against Seton Hall: Whaley and Sanogo dominate, Huskies get lots of contributions, and team bolsters resume

Even with UConn’s much-improved play in the previous two weeks, it entered Wednesday’s contest at Seton Hall needing a signature win against the Pirates to help ensure they will make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016. Seton Hall, a fellow bubble team, had lost two consecutive games but also had a week to prepare and defeated the Huskies 80-72 on February 6th, the most points they had allowed this season. To get revenge, UConn needed to neutralize star big man Sandro Mamukelashvili and the rest of the Pirates frontcourt, which had dominated the Huskies in the first matchup.

For UConn, winning the big men battle, and by extension the game, was a challenge it passed with flying colors. After a chaotic first half that saw the team grab the lead at the very end, the Huskies started the second half off hot and controlled the game from there, going on to win 69-58. It was their second straight win and fifth in six games, and improved UConn’s record to 13-6 and 10-6 in the Big East, good for third place. Seton Hall dropped to 13-11 and fourth in the conference at 10-8, and has a must-win game at St. John’s tomorrow.

Senior Isiah Whaley and freshman Adama Sanogo dominated at forward and center on both ends. Whaley had 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists and blocks, while Sanogo went for 16, nine and two. The pair each played over 30 minutes after foul trouble in the first game against the Pirates. Whaley was the main defender against Mamukelashvili and did an outstanding job on him. After scoring 22 points and going 10-12 at the free throw line in the first game against UConn, he shot 7-20 on Wednesday, only reaching the line three times.

The first half was a game of runs. UConn unfortunately again spottedd their opponent a lead early, falling behind 13-4 in the first five minutes after allowed a trio of 3-pointers. The Huskies eventually found their footing thanks to Sanogo, who hit their first three field goals, and went on an 11-2 run. They tied it at 17 with 9:46 remaining on a wide-open three by Whaley, with Andre Jackson earning an assist. Whaley also set the tone on defense during this run, blocking consecutive shots by Mamukelashvili.

UConn went ice cold on offense after tying the game, going nearly five minutes without scoring as they were unable to hit any jumpers or layups. Seton Hall took advantage of the struggles, going on a 7-0 run to take a 24-17 advantage at the 6:02 mark.

The Huskies responded by tightening up their defense even more and putting up a wall around the paint, holding the Pirates scoreless for the final 4:01. R.J. Cole and James Bouknight, who had struggled with their shooting all half, finally got going and hit a pair of threee pointers, and Whaley ended the half with a putback layup to give UConn a 27-26 halftime lead.

UConn immediately carried over this momentum to the beginning of the second half, scoring the opening six points and eventuallly taking a 12-point lead at 44-32 7:35 into the half on a Cole 3-pointer. During their great opening stretch, the Huskies did a good job of finding Sanogo and Whaley down low and the pair overpowered defenders, consistently making layups. The team also continued to do an excellent job of rebounding on both ends and challenging Seton Hall’s shots. Uconn was able to widen its lead despite Bouknight having to come out when he picked up his third foul at the 16:58 mark. Ultimately, UConn would go on a 25-15 run between the 4:10 mark of the first half and the under-eight media timeout in the second.

UConn continued to maintain a comfortable lead the remainder of the game, with the Pirates only occasionally cutting it to single digits. The Huskies responded with big baskets when necessary, and did an excellent job of closing the game out at the line. UConn had its best free throw shooting game of the season, making 15 of 16.

The Huskies won the game with their defense and on the boards. UConn held Seton Hall to 40% shooting and 5-19 from three. Just three Pirates players scored over four points. Seton Hall reached the foul line 32 times in the first game between the teams, but got there just 14 times on Wednesday, making only nine shots. Arond the rim, Whaley, Sanogo and others did an excellent job of protecting the rim and either altering shots or forcing Pirate players to look elsewhere for poor opportunities without fouling. The Huskies guards and forwards, particularly Tyrese Martin, did a strong job of pressuring ball handlers and guarding outside shooters. Seton Hall rarely got good looks beginning at the end of the first half and much of the second.

On the boards, UConn outrebounded Seton Hall 40-28 and had 13 offensive rebounds to the Pirates nine, with Whaley and Sanogo grabbing five and four, respectively. The Huskies were able to get valuable second-chance opportunities and did not allow Seton Hall to get second looks while struggling. This was the second time in three games UConn has had at least 40 rebounds.

In addition to Sanogo and Whaley, Bouknight and Cole ultimately had solid games despite their early shooting struggles. Cole finished with 14 points on 5-12 shooting and hit two threes, although he had justo ne assist. Bouknight shot only 3-10 but succeded in getting to the free throw line, going 7-8. Martin went scoreless but contributed significantly on defense and on the boards, grabbing six rebounds and earning two steals.

Despite his struggles shooting, Mamukelashvili still managed to finish with a double-double, recording 20 and 10. Jared Rhoden scored 16 on 5-9 shooting. Cale went just 1-6 from three.

While UConn definitely passed the eye test when one viewed bubble candidates, beating Seton Hall was huge for proving their case as an NCAA tournament time. If the Huskies avoid a slippup at home tomorrow against Georgetown and win at least a game or two in the Big East tournament, they will earn a good seed for March Madness. UConn will play the winner of the game between the six and eleven seeds in the Big East quarterfinals on Thursday.

Here are my game observations on the win against Seton Hall:

Whaley and Sanogo are a two-headed monster

Since Sanogo officially secured the starting job at center late in January, UConn has been trying to figure out how he and Whaley can best coexist at the four and five positions. It has immediately been a bumpy road at times. Sanogo has been inconsistent on both ends as freshman usually are, and struggled to execute the hard hedge defense that Hurley loves so much while avoiding foul trouble. Meanwhile, Whaley has struggled to score when playing power forward next to Sanogo (he can’t rely on scoring on putbacks and similar plays as easily) and also regularly experienced issues with fouls as well.

It wasn’t a surprise that some fans wondered whether Whaley and Sanogo could play together effectively, and that having them do so can have a detrimental effect to spacing. Against Seton Hall, the pair demonstrated that they can, with each having one of their best performances of the season.

Whaley and Sanogo combined for 33 points on 15-25 shooting, 19 rebounds (nine offensive) and four blocks against the Pirates, with the senior playing 33 minutes and the freshman 31. Whaley, who was in full energizer bunny mode playing in front of fans for one of first times this season, set a season high in points and had zero fouls for only the second time this season. After being schooled by Mamukelashvili in their first matchup, Whaley set the tone early with blocks and was more disciplined in his rim protection, taking Mamukelashvili out of his comfort zone and forcing him to take difficult outside shots. On offense, Whaley had eye-catching dunks and putbacks and hit a few outside shots that stretched the floor, and continued to do a good job screening for Sanogo and others.

After it seemed like Sanogo was maybe hitting a freshman wall (he entered the game having scored four points or less in three of the Huskies last five contests), he killed any doubts, earning career-highs in both points (16) and rebounds (nine). Sanogo continues to improve his offensive game and footwork, and demonstrated the ability to both back down the Pirate defenders and use fake-out moves to score as well as pass effectively out of the post. It was great to see his aggressiveness early when the UConn offense really needed a lift. Sanogo is also consistently improving as a defender and getting better at avoding foul trouble, having not fouled out since the first Seton Hall game. He demonstrated his improved speed when hedging and recovering on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s win showed just how good Whaley and Sanogo can be when they play cohesively. On offense, Whaley can finish plays at the rim, screen well in the paint and step out and hit shots when necessary, while Sanogo can use multiple moves to score in the post, allowing him to draw multiple defenders, and pass effectively. On defense, the two do a great job of guarding the rim and blocking shots (especially Whaley) and can hedge effectively, and Whaley can guard multiple positions. At their best, the combo recall the great big men tandems UConn had under Jim Calhoun. Whaley and Sanogo are not going to match up with every team as well as they did with Seton Hall, but if they can continue to provide excellent post defense and solid offense, UConn should be able to go on a run in tournament play.

Nearly everyone brings something to the table

Myself and others have focused on the performances of Whaley and Sanogo, but beating Seton Hall was a collective effort. Cole rebounded from a slow start to make some big shots in the second half and did a solid job of running the offense. Bouknight continues to be inconsistent since returning, but was smart enough to attack the basket and get to the line when his shot wasn’t falling and again rebounded well, grabbing six boards. Tyrese Martin continues to struggle with his shot and went scoreless, but remained the Huskies Swiss Army knife, picking up six rebounds and two steals and shutting down whomever he faced on defensed. Andre Jackson also again played solid defense, and Jalen Gaffney provided valuable minutes when Bouknight was in foul trouble and scored four points. Tyler Polley was the only player whom had a poor game, going scoreless and attempting no three pointers in 13 minutes.

This win showed that UConn can beat a quality team on the road even when Bouknight is not at his best. While Bouknight will be the biggest key to determining just how far the team can go this season and helps make his teammates better, the Huskies are currently demonstrating that they are more than the sum of their parts. UConn is peaking at the right time. They are a quality defensive team and are consistently strong on the glass, and have a lot of offensive depth, with multiple players (especially Cole) able to step up at any time. Teams will not be looking forward to forcing the Huskies during March Madness.

The team is becoming better prepared at responding to slow starts and closing out games

While UConn needs to get better at starting games off well and grabbing early leads in the pressure-filled environment of tournament play, you have to give the team credit for being able to rebound when it starts off slow. Despite this occuring in the last two games as well as against Xavier, the Huskies maintained composure and tightened up their defense while making adjustments on offense that allow the team to rally. There haven’t been reoccurences similar to what fans saw in the first contest against Seton Hall, where UConn fell far enough behind that a comeback was impossible.

Earlier in the season, UConn had multiple losses where they lost composure late and made inexplicable mistakes that allowed opponents to come back (see the first Creighton loss and the game against St. John’s). Over time, however, the Huskies have been able to show maturity and leadership and close games out by making free throws and handling opponent’s press. They have now done this in each of the last three games and been able to earn double-digit wins as a result. I am now confident that UConn will be able to maintain leads and close out games as well as pull off comebacks, even against quality tournament teams.

Hurley appears to have a handle on the identity of his team

Earlier in the season and especially when Bouknight was out, it seemed like UConn didn’t have an idea of how the Huskies pieces fit together. A lot of this was understandable considering how much the team’s game and practice schedule was affected by Covid-19, the large number of new players UConn had, and how important its injured players were to the team’s success.

Still, the Huskies were frequently a confunding team. They appeared to look best on offense when they pushed the tempo and attempted to get points in transition, but played at an extremely slow pace largely as an effort to limit the number of possessions opponents could have with Bouknight out. Hurley rarely made any adjustments on defense, even when the team played inconsistently on that end during the middle of the season. While different players stepped up on offense from game to game, Uconn appeared to lack a leader with Bouknight out. Finally, Hurley’s substitution patterns and use of timeouts was suspect.

Starting with the game at Xavier on February 13th, the Huskies have slowly but surely found that identity. The return of Bouknight is a significant part of that, but not the only factor. Cole has emerged as a team leader and improved signicantly on offense while improving his shot selection. The offense has begun playing at a quicker pace in general, especially off turnovers and rebounds,, becoming more efficient as a result. Since returning from injury, Jackson has been a significant weapon on defense and improved UConn’s ball movement. The defense has played better overall, with the improvement of Sanogo a large part of that. Hurley’s benching of Cole motivated him to improve, and the coach seems to have figured out is main rotation. He has also appeared willing to use timeouts more when necessary. It finally seemes like the Huskies are living up to their potential.

With the win against Xavier, UConn has improved its KenPom rating to 26th as of Friday night and seems to have locked up an NCAA tournament berth according to bracket projections, with the team most frequently projected as a No. 10 seed. If the Huskies can take care of business against Georgetown and perform well in the Big East tournament, they will bump up their seeding.

Observations on win against Marquette: UConn has best offensive performance in conference play, Cole continues hot streak, and team again deales with foul trouble

Back at the beginning of January, Marquette seemed to be on the way to handing UConn an ugly loss before it came back from 18 down to earn its biggest comeback win of the season so far. This was the game that James Bouknight injured is elbow before missing nearly six weeks. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles came into Storrs looking for revenge and to build momentum after upsetting North Carolina three days before.

The Huskies were in danger of a trap game and suffering a costly loss as they try to eanr an NCAA tournament berth. UConn quickly dispelled any possibility of this, however, as they shut down Marqueette in the first half and got on an offensive role midway through the half. Behind Bouknight and R.J. Cole, the Huskies kept up their great offensive play the rest of the game and went on to have one of their largest wins of the season, defeating the Golden Eagles 80-62. UConn moved to 12-6 and 9-6 in the Big East, while Marquette fell to 11-13 and 6-11 in conference.

Bouknight continued his excellent offensive play since returning, scoring 24 points on 9-15 shooting and earning two steals. Cole was the MVP of the game however, scoring 21 points on 9-14 shooting and 3-6 from three and recording three assists. Cole has now scored 38 points in the last two games and totaled 10 assists against just two turnovers. Bouknight has averaged just under 21 points in four games since returning.

UConn struggled in the first five minutes, committing five turnovers and falling behind 11-6. The defense quickly got on track however, holding Marquette scoreless for 8:05 and causing it to commit five turnovers during this stretch. The Huskies did an outsanding job of pressuring the Golden Eagles players and making it difficult for them to score in the paint while consistently altering or blocking shots at the rim. They would miss their first 10 layups. Marquette was unable to adjust to their struggles in the paint by making shots from the outside, and would ultimately go 4-16 from beyond the arc in the game.

On offense, UConn began to get going midway through the half before exploding in the final 7:30, during which it scored 20 points to take a 38-21 halftime lead. Bouknight gave the team its first lead on a jumper at the 12:34 mark, and Tyrese Martin and Jalen Gaffney combined for the next eight points, with six coming on layups.

Cole and Tyler Polley led the aforementioned offensive spurt. The pair each hit two 3-pointers during it, and Cole would score eight points in the final 5:13. The offense did an excellent job of moving and handling the ball in the final minutes of the half, and took advantage of Marquette’s turnovers and quick shots to push the ball and score fastbreak points. The Huskies were effective both in the paint and on jumpers. They scored 20 points in the paint during the first half and ended it on a 26-10 run.

At the beginning of the second half, UConn’s bigs as well as Martin struggled with foul trouble. Isiah Whaley and Sanogo each picked up their third fouls before the first TV timeout and Marquette would quickly be put in the bonus. In addition, Josh Carlton rolled his ankle 3:04 in and did not return, limiting the Huskies frontcourt even more.

While UConn’s foul trouble and improved offensive play by the Golden Eagles put pressure on the Huskies offense, Cole and Bouknight were able to carry it in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, scoring 17 consecutive points for the Huskies. The pair killed Marquette in the halfcourt, consistently making jumpers and keeping defenders off balance.

The Golden Eagles were able to get as close as 11 points in the second half, but UConn always responded as other players eventually got going on offense. The Huskies did an outstanding job of handling the ball and commited just two turnovers after the game’s opening five minutes. Even as the Marquette offense executed better on offense in the second half, UConn’s defense continued to pressure them and force turnovers.

UConn shot 51.6% for the game despite going just 6-21 from three (it made up for this by shooting 62.8% inside the arc). It scored 40 points in the paint and 17 fastbreak points. The 18-point win was the Huskies largest in the calander year and third-largest of the season. It was the fourth time they have scored 80 or more points.

In addition to Bouknight’s 24 points and Cole’s 21, three other players scored over five points. Polley shot 3-6 from behid the arc to finish with nine points. Andre Jackson had one of his best overall games. The freshman earned eight points and rebounds and added two assists in 27 minutes while playing strong defense. Martin scored six and was again great on the boards, grabbing eight (three offensive). Sanogo had seven rebounds in 15 minutes, and Gaffney earned four assists and did not commit a turnover. UConn had 12 assists.

UConn held Marquette to 39.3% shooting from the field and 25% from three, and it went 14-21 at the line. The Golden Eagles committed 15 turnovers against just eight assists. After the Huskies struggled with foul trouble at the beginning of the second half, they did a better job of avoiding them for the remainder of the game. The UConn guards did a strong job of pressuring Marquette’s ball handlers throughout the game, with Jackson especially using his wingspain to limit player’s passing and shooting abilities. The Huskies bigs did a strong job of defending when they were on the floor. Dawson Garcia led the Golden Eagles with 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Justin Lewis shot 5-9 and finished with 14.

The win helped UConn move up six spots to 28th in the KenPom standings, where they still are as of Monday night. It is also now ranked 25th in BPI and 28th in the Sagarin ratings, and is 36th in the NET rankings. The Huskies look to be in pretty good shape for an NCAA tournament berth, and can probably ensure it by winning at Seton Hall on Wednesday or a game or two in the Big East tournament.

Here are my observations on the win against Marequette:

R.J. Cole centerpiece of a great offensive performance

The epitome of a quality point guard is a player who can run an offense efficiently and put teammates in a position to succeed, score effectively when necessary, play strong defense, and most importantly, act as one of the team’s leaders. Over the course of the season, Cole has become a quality point guard for UConn, and he is peaking at the right time.

Cole was very good against Marquette in all facets of the game. After a sloppy start by the Huskies, the redshirt junior did a very good job of running the offense. He helped push the tempo, leading to great fastbreak opportunities, and made sure to get teammates consistently involved and in position to score. Cole helped kickstart UConn’s offensive run in the final eight minutes of the first half and made two key 3-pointers. When the team got in foul trouble at the beginning of the second half, he and Bouknight stepped up and led the offense. Cole did an excellent job of pulling up to hit open jumpers and beating defenders off the dribble. Throughout the game, he played strong defense and limited the Golden Eagles ability to shoot from the outside.

In addition to scoring when needed, Cole also visibly provided leadership on the floor. He was consistently communicating with teammates on the floor and in the huddle, and the joy he expressed clearly rubbed off on the Huskies other players. In recent games, Cole has become more vocal both in games and practices, and UConn clearly needed vocal leaders. I am confident he will continue to grow as a leader in the remainder of the season.

Cole has now averaged 17 points on 46.2% shooting AND 43.2% from three and just under five assists in the Huskies last five games, recording a 4-1 assist to turnover ratio. He and Bouknight are a great duo together now that Cole’s improved so much, and they are establishing themselves as one of the best backcourts in the Big East. If Cole can help lead UConn to a win at Seton Hall tomorrow, it will be a great indication of how much he’s grown.

UConn demonstrates their impressive depth on offense

I’ve already gone into Cole’s great game, and Bouknight improved as the game went on and scored successfully in the midrange and at the rim to make up for his struggles behind the arc. After inconsistent offensive performances as a team against Villanova and Georgetown, UConn again showed how effective their offense can be when it gets solid contributions on that end from multiple players.

Thanks to the Huskies depth, they were able to suceed on offense both in the paint and from midrange and behind the arc. Polley joined Cole in providing scoring from 3-point range, making three triples in 21 minutes. The senior knocked down open opportunities and did a good job of getting himself in quality shooting position, even shot faking on one of his makes. Polley scored nine or more points for the third time in five games, and is shooting 39.1% on threes in that stretch. Jackson (who I discuss more below) was able to score at the rim effectively and on fastbreak opportunities (going 3-4 on 2-pointers) and again had a spectacular dunk, and he also again passed the ball well. Martin did not make a three for the third consecutive game and fouled out, but again finished well at the rim. His offensive rebounding continues to be outstanding, as he has grabbed multiple offensive boards in six consecutive games. Finally, Gaffney made two nice jumpers and his four assists were the most in a game this season.

The excellent offensive performances by UConn;s guards and forwards offset the struggles of Whaley, Sanogo and Carlton, whom were all limited by foul trouble or injury and scored just eight combiend points on 4-10 shooting in 43 minutes. The Huskies will need this group (depending on the health of Carlton) to improve their play against Seton Hall’s big frontline. With their depth, however, the offense should be able to consistently make up for struggles in certain areas and perform well in each game going forward. UConn is more than just Bouknight and ColIn e.

The Huskies defense is playing at a high level again

During UConn’s struggles in the middle of the season, its defense was nearly as central to the struggles as the offense, despite a large portion of the attention going to that side of the ball. The defense allowed at least 70 points in each of the losses the team suffered without Bouknight, and players did a poor job of playing help defense and regularly limiting layups or foul trouble. Since Bouknight returned however, the Huskies have played much better team defense as a whole and held opponents under 70 points in four straight games. It is defending the rim better and playing stronger help defense while continuing to limit teams from beyond the arc. UConn has returned to being a strong defensive rebounding team after being inconsistent in that area during the middle of the season.

Against Marquette, the UConn defense played one of its best halfs of the season in the opening 20 minutes, holding the Golden Eagles to 21 points. The defense completely shut down the paint and challenged jumpers and threes, and its pressure made it difficult for Marquette to find open shooters and caused costly turnovers the Huskies offense took advantage of. Even when foul trouble early in the second half limited the effectiveness of the defense, UConn forced enough turnovers and limited the Golden Eagles ability to score outside of the paint, squashing any hope of a Marquette comeback.

The Huskies are now first in conference play in points allowed per game (64.9)and blocks (2.8), second in opponent field goal percentage (41.6%)and third in assists allowed per game (11.6). They need to do a better job of avoiding foul trouble, especially against Seton Hall, but at their best UConn can be an elite defensive team. This will allow them to beat any opponent.

Andre Jackson shows off his versatility

After an exciting showing in his first three games back from injury, Jackson hit a little bit of a wall in the three games prior to Saturday’s contest, scoring just four points and grabbing nine rebounds while dealing with foul trouble. The freshman was excellent against Marquette however, recording eight points eight pints and rebounds with two assists in 27 minutes, his second highest total of the season. On offense, Jackson used his speed and athleticism to score effectively at the rim, and handled the ball well after committing three turnovers against Georgetown. Jackson demonstrated his toughness when rebounding in traffic, and used his wingspan to harras ball defenders while doing a better job of avoiding ticky-tack fouls. Overall, Jackson provided much needed defense and rebounding with the bigs being limited.

Saturday’s win did a great job of demonstrating what Jackson can bring to UConn. Yes, he is very raw and a limited shooter, and is prone to lapses on defense. However, it is clear at this point that Jackson will always bring a lot of energy and much-neededd athleticm to the Huskies and can be an effective passer, rebounder and defender. If Jackson is able to stay on the floor, he will be a Swiss Army knife for the team and can make a positive impact even if he is not scoring.

UConn is again hurt by foul trouble

The Huskies defensive approach leaves them vulnerable to foul trouble. They consistently use the hard hedge and focus heavily on limiting the ability for opponents to make threes, and their bigs regularly defend players at the top of the key. While UConn is usually effective on defense overall, this style of play makes it hard for big men to get back and guard the rim, especially slower bigs like Sanogo and Carlton. In addition, Whaley’s physical style of play and habit of constantly trying to block shots regularly puts him in foul trouble even as he makes it hard for players to score. While it seems like Hurley is going to play this style of defense no matter what, the bigs need to be more disciplined, especially in a league like the Big East where the officials call a lot of fouls. Saturday is a great place to start, as Seton Hall has an excellent frontcourt which burned UConn in the team’s first meeting. More than probably any other factor, the defensive play of the big men will decide who wins that game.

Observations on win against Georgetown: RJ Cole has signature game, UConn dominates boards, and team has great second half

During the halftime break in Tuesday’s game against Georgetown, I joined many other Husky fans in eviscirating the team. After watching the team play an ugly 15 minutes of basketball after a great start and go into halftime down one, I attacked the team’s lack of discipline and asked where the player’s passion was. Little did I know that UConn was going to play one of its best halves of the season.

After going into halftime down 26-25, the Huskies got it together on offense early in the second half. In the last 13:51, they outscored the Hoyas 30-16 and went on to win 70-57. The win improved UConn to 11-6 and 8-6 in the Big East, and insured the team would firmly stay on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. Georgetown dropped to 7-11 and 5-8 in conference.

After inconsistent first halfs, the duo of Cole and James Bouknight were outstanding in the second half. The pair each scored 14 points in the half, with Cole shooting 7-9. The redshort junior had his best all-around game of the season, scoring 17 points and disching out steven assists to go with six steals. Cole did not commit a turnover. Bouknight finished with 20 points on 8-17 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double. UConn shot 56.3% in the second half.

The Huskies had an outstanding start to the game and went into the first TV timeout leading 12-2. After that, everything changed. UConn went into a shooting funk for the remainder of the first half and went scoreless for seven minutes at one point. It missed a number of open shots and second-chance opportunities, while also rushing contested shots. The Huskies were reckless with the ball and ultimatelly committed 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

While UConn rebounded and defended very well, Georgetown was able to get the ball inside and reach the free throw line, making nine of 11 shots at the charity shots. Timothy Ighoefe made a 3-pointer on the Hoyas last shot of the half to put them up 26-25 going into the locker room.

After their poor offensive play in the second half, both teams started the second half playing well on that end. Led by Cole and Bouknight, UConn began to move the ball and shoot well and attacked the rim. Georgetown did the same, with the Huskies defenders out of position on multiple posssessions. With 10:54 remaining, the squads were tied at 44.

From then on, it was all UConn. While the Huskies struggled from behind the arc, they hit shots from everywhere else. Cole was the catalyst, knocking down jumpers and tough shots in the paint while also creating good scoring opportunities for teammates. After being quiet for most of the first half, Bouknight was much more aggressive in the second half and made some spectacular plays, including a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Cole. Almost everyone else got in on the action at points, and UConn continued to dominate the boards and handled the ball better, committing just three turnovers in the second half.

The Huskies were much more disciplined on defense in the second half. They continued to challenge shots behind the arc and defended the paint better while mostly avoiding fouling. UConn also benefited from Georgetown missing a lot of open shots. The Hoyas would ultimately finishing the game having shot just 35.8% and 4-19 from three.

UConn finished the game shooting 45.5% despite going just 2-11 from three. In addition to the 37 combined points from Bouknight and Cole, Sanogo and Whaley had strong all-around games. Sanogo had eight points and seven rebounds (three offensive) along with two blocks in 21 minutes, and Whaley had seven points and rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks in 21 minutes. Martin had eight points and five rebounds. Andre Jackson and Jalen Gaffney continued to struggle. Jackson went scoreless in 13 minutes and committed three turnovers, while Gaffney scored just three points and did not have an assist in 10 minutes. Qudus Wahab had an excellent game for Georgetown, earning a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Huskies ability to win 50-50 balls and impressive effort when going after loose balls is reflected in the game’s rebounding and turnover numbers. Despite Georgetown having the best rebounding numbers in the Big East entering the game, UConn won the rebounding battle 46-30 and recorded 18 offensive rebounds to the Hoyas nine. Five players grabbed at least five rebounds for the Huskies. They had eight steals and helped force Georgetown to commit 15 turnovers, with five of its players recording multiple turnovers.

The win moved UConn up to 35th in the KenPom rankings, and they are now 32nd in the rankings as of Thursday night. If the team can win all its four remaining games this should gurantee them a berth in the NCAA tournament, and three wins should be enough, especially if the Huskies can win one or two games in the Big East tournament.

Here are my observations on the win against Georgetown:

Cole takes on a aleadership role

While Cole avoided the ball-handling and sloppiness issues that many of his teammates experienced in the first half, he still struggled to shoot the ball, going 1-7. Cole missed open shots frommidrange and also rushed shots. It looked like he could be on the way to having a similar performance to his showing against Villanova, where Cole went 2-10 and had just two assists.

The R.J. Cole that appeared in the second half was a completely different player. Cole went 6-8 from the field for 14 points and dished out four assists. He used his pull-up jumper to catch defenders off guard and beat defenders at the rim despite the height disaprity between him and the Hoya guards. Cole was able to find teammates inside and on the perimeter for good scoring opportunities, and avoided waiting until late in the shot clock to start running the offense. Most importantly, Cole clearly took on a leadership role on the floor, helping to lead conversations in the huddle and constantly communicating with teammates on offense. Hurley said after the game that he was proud of Cole’s play, and it was clear his teammates were as well.

A few weeks ago, Dan Hurley pulled Cole out of the starting lineup to insert the message that ne needed to improve his play and effort level. Since then, he has been a different player. Cole has averaged 16 points and recorded a 21-4 assist to turnover ratio over the last four games while adding nine steals, and seized the starting role back from Gaffney. He has run the offense at a quicker pace and helped to take advantage of fastbreak opportunities, and it’s clear that he and Bouknight play very well off of one another. Cole established himself as the team leader by holding a player’s only meeting after the loss to Providence in which the team discussed how each player could fill their roles better, and he has only built on that leadership role since. It took a while, but Cole is finally meeting the expectations for him coming into the season.

UConn returns to controlling the boards

The Huskies have been a very strong rebounding team over the course of the season, and are currently second in the Big East in offensive rebounds per game (12.5) and third in total rebounds (36.9). However, they had not been quite as effective on the boards recently, and had not won the rebounding battle in most losses. With Georgetown as the best rebounding team in the Big East, it was essential that UConn beat the Hoyas on the boards to gurantee a win.

The Huskies didn;t just outrebound Georgetown: it obliterated them. They had 46 rebounds to the Hoyas 30 and snatched 18 offensive boards. The players did an excellent job of boxing out and outhusted Georgetown’s players to many long rebounds, especially on the offensive end. Even if UConn’s rebounding prowess did not lead to many second-chance points (nine), it allowed them to control the tempo and get great fastbreak opportunities. The guards got in on the action as well as the bigs, earning 21 boards. The team’s rebounding numbers reflected their hustle and aggressiveness throughout the game. UConn will need to continue to control the boards to go undefeated the rest of the regular season.

UConn has their best defensive performance in a long time

Georgetown is not a great offensive team, far from it. However, the Hoyas entered the game playing much better defense than early in the season. They scored 78 and 81 points in their wins against Butler and Seton Hall, and had put up more then 70 in four of their five previous games. UConn quickly ended the team’s offensive resurgence. The defense did an excellent job of challenging 3-point shots and altering ones around the rin, and frequently got back on defense even after committing turnovers. By doing so and then avoiding silly fouls in the second half, the Huskies eventually wore down Georgetown. While they struggled to stop Wahab, they did an excellent job on the team’s other top players. Jhavon Blair shot just 1-5 from three and finished with just nine points, and Jhamorko Pickett went just 3-12 from the field. The Hoyas missed a lot of open shots, but UConn still deserves praise for its defensive effort.

Sanogo and Whaley return to owning the paint

At times this season, Sanogo and Whaley have been a very effective duo. In the three games leading up to the matchup with Georgetown, however, they each had played very inconsistently. When UConn needed them to step up against Georgetown, they met the challenge.

Sanogo had not played up to the level they established in late January and early February in the aftorementioned games, scoring a combined 14 points and averaging four rebounds while dealing with foul trouble. Against the Hoyas, UConn fed him the ball more and Sanogo took advantage, working around multiple defenders on his way to eight points on 4-7 shooting. The freshman did an excellent job on the boards in 21 minutes, grabbing three offensive boards and seven in total. He was able to anticipate rebound opportunities well and consistently beat Georgetown players to balls. Sanogo also earned two blocks, and did a better job of avoiding foul trouble than normal, picking up just three. If Sanogo is able to stay on the floor, he is capable of having strong games against the remaining schedule. Sanogo played well in the Huskies first game against Seton Hall.

Whaley was still blocking shots at a great rate before Tuesday’s game, but the senior had only scored five or more points against one opponent (Xavier) and recently had not had big rebounding games outside of the win against the Musketeers. Like Sanogo, Whaley had also struggled with foul trouble. Against Georgetown, he was extremely effective on both ends of the floor. Whaley was outstanding on the offensive boards, recording six, and had seven total. While he missed multiple putbacks, Whaley still finished with stevn points on 3-6 shooting. He also finished with two blocks, and helped alter many shots. Whaley was all over the place and played with a ton of energy every moment he was on the floor, and it was clear his teammates were feeding of of this. If Whaley continues to play with that some level of passion, he will have a big impact on the team even if he doesn’t score a ton of points.

Observations on win against Providence: James BOUKNIGHT!, defense shuts down Friars, and depth is on display

Well that was fun, wasn’t it?

UConn has been waiting for baited breath for James Bouknight to come back for nearly two weeks know, with that urgency going into overdrive after the team’s first loss to Providence last week. With last Saturday’s win against Xavier however, the Huskies showed that they could beat a strong opponent without their star. They carried that momentum over to Tuesday night, and played a more complete game with Bouknight back, not looking like he missed a day at all.

UConn defeated Providence 73-61 to improve to 10-5 (7-5 Big East).In just 24 minutes, Bouknight scored 24 points against the Friar defenders, who looked helpless to stop him. The Huskies led for nearly the entire game and by double dights for most of the second half.

The first half was the Bouknight and Tyrese Martin show, as the pair combined for 28 of the team’s 37 points. After not scoring in the first 3:06, UConn went on an 11-0 run to go up by seven. The final basket in this run was a Martin layup off a pass from Bouknight, who had just come in the game moments before. Both teams started off strong on offense, with the Huskies mainly scoring on laups and off turnovers and Providence on 3-pointers. A three by A.J. Reeves tied the game at 19 with 9:51 to go.

After the Friars tied the score, Bouknight gave UConn the lead for good on a 3-point play. This was talready he sophomore’s fourth basket, with the first being a spectacular dunk off an offensive rebound. Bouknight displayed great athleticism and shot-making ability from the moment he stepped on the court. He made multiple difficult layups, passed the ball well and played solid defense.

After their hot start, Providence cooled off and the Huskies defense executed much better. They forced key turnovers and consistently challenged shots at the rim, with Whaley, Bouknight and Jackson (defending star David Duke) in particular stepping up. The Friars hit just three field goals in the last six minutes. UConn did an excellent job rebounding on both ends throughout the first half, setting a tone that would last the whole game.

In the second half, other players carried the load, as Bouknight and Martin scored “only” eight combined points. With Sanogo fighting foul trouble, Josh Carlton stepped up and scored seven points. Tyler Polley hit two 3-pointers as well as a jumper, scoring nine points. Bouknight continued to impress on both ends before sitting out the last few minutes due to a cramp. Following a dunk by Whaley off a pass by Cole 4:48 into the half, UConn led by double digits the rest of the way and pushed their lead to 18 multiple times. The defense continued to play well, limiting Providence to very few 3-point opportunities and holding them scoreless for long stretches. The Friars did not break the 50-point mark until there was just over seven minutes left.

After the Huskies coming-out party on offense against Xavier, they were even more efficient against Providence with Bouknight in the fold. UConn shot 46.8% overall (the team’s highest percentage since its second win against Butler) and 5-12 from three. Bouknight was 7-13 from the field and 4-5 at the line and added two steals, while Martin shot 8-16 to finish with 18 points and seven rebounds, four offensive. Cole struggled to make shots late in the game, but still finished with 13 points and five assists. Carlton had seven points and rebounds (four offensive) and two blocks, and Whaley grabbed six rebounds and added three blocks. The Huskies outrebounded Providence 42-32 and had 12 assists.

The Friars shot just 36.2% from the field and made only four threes, and had 11 turnovers to nine assists. Duke finished with 11 points but shot just 3-16 from the field, and a week after scoring 20 points against UConn, Nate Watson was held to six points. The only Providence player who had a strong offensive game was Alyn Breed, who scored 14 points on 5-11 shooting.

The Huskies had an extremely encouraging night all around against Providence. The excitement and offensive firepower Bouknight brought was awesome, and UConn’s defense had its best performance in a while. It is going into Saturday’s game at Villanova with a lot of momentum, and its setting up to be one of the best Big East matchups of the season.

Here are my game observations for the encouraging win against Providence:

James Bouknight is good, you guys:

While I believed that Bouknight could have a good performance and provide UConn the necessary energy to earn a decisive win, he frankly exceded my expectations. Bouknight was extremely efficient on offense, not displaying any rustiness with his shot. He demonstrated a ton of confidence and did not hesitate from going inside or taking difficult shots despite the injury. Bouknight also passed and rebounded the ball well, grabbing four. I was also really impressed with his tenacious defense which resulted in two steals. Bouknight has improved on that end throughout the season.

With Bouknight back, UConn will be a much better offensive team, and improve on defense as well. Bouknight is not only capable of scoring roughly 20 points per game, his average for the season. He will open up the offense and provide better scoring opportunities to his fellow guards as as Martin and Polley, who can get higher-quality looks from three, and allow the Huskies to play in the uptempo style that has been successful the last two games. Bouknight needs to build up his stamina, but he makes the team capable of beating anyone. It’s nice to have a full-blown star again.

UConn’s defense and rebounding has become its greatest strength again

The Huskies were an excellent defensive team in the first half of the season, allowing only two opponents (Central Connecticut and Creighton) to score over 70 points in a game. However, they had a mid-season swoon, allowing 70 or more points as they lost four of five). At the same time, UConn rebounded less effectively, and has lost or tied the rebounding margin in four of the five losses. Against Xavier and Providence however, the team reestablished its superiority in these areas.

In the last two games, the Huskies have executed very well on defense. They made it difficult to score in the paint and in traffic, and have switched and hedged more efficiently then they were doing in the losses. Playing at a faster pace also made Xavier and Providence susceptible to turnovers. Whaley has been outstanding and blocked eight shots, and Carlton and Amada Sanogo have both defended well at times. Meanwhile, Martin and Cole continue to be mostly reliable on that end, while Jackson has shown a ton of growth as a defender with each game. Add Bouknight and Akok Akok to the mix, and the defense can shut down anyone.

UConn outrebounded Xavier by four and Providence by 10, and it hasn’t just been the bigs who have been grabbing boards. Six Huskies grabbed four or more rebounds against Providence, and that gang rebounding mentality can allow the team to tire out and overwhem opponents, especially on the offensive end. Uconn is now sixth in the country in offensive rebounding rate according to KenPom (36.8), and are second in the Big East in offensive rebounds per game and fifth in total rebounds. If it can use its size and athleticism to continue maintaining their rebounding advantage against the remaining regular season opponents (particularly Villanova and Setion Hall, which both have excellent offenses), then the Huskies offense should be effective enough to win all these games.

Huskies get contributions from everywhere for the second straight game

I have already exposed on the impressive depth UConn showed in Tuesday’s game, but I wanted to focus on it more here. At guard, the team had the theatrics of Bouknight as well as the steady play of Cole and key plays on both ends by Jackson. Cole looks more comfortable running an uptempo offense and has passed the ball well recently. While he is still an inconsistent shooter, the redshirt junior has demonstrated a better ability to finish at the rim the last few games and knock down pull-ups. Cole has averaged just over 14 points in the last eight games and scored in double figures in each contest, and he’ll get more open shots with Bouknight back. Jackson still needs to be more consistent on defense and avoid foul trouble (he had four in 21 minutes against the Friars), but he again provied himself a solid rebounder and excellent passer, and his athleticism and speed makes him a perfect compliment to Bouknight. If Gaffney can be even slightly more consistent, then UConn can have one of the best backcourts in the Big East going forward.

At the forward spots, Martin and Polley both have played well the last two games. Martin has scored 33 points in the last two games and proven himself to be UConn’s second-best player over the last few weeks. The junior transfer can score inside as well as shoot over the defense, and still contribute on the boards and on the defensive end even when he’s not shooting well. I expect him to keep up the strong play. Polley seems to have found his shooting stroke the last two games, and its been nice to see him not just focus on shooting threes. With Bouknight back, he should get even more open looks.

Whaley has played excellent defense the last two games both as a power forward and at center, and he demonstrated against Xavier what he is capable of on offense as well. I discuss Carlton’s performance more below, and I am sure Sanogo will continue to show growth in some of the remaining games. If Akok can consistently get on the floor, the Huskies frontcourt will be a force to be reckoned with on both ends.

Josh Carlton reminds fan of his skills

With the emergence of Sanogo, Carlton has received little playing time recently. Akok may take away from his opportunities to get on the floor as well. Nevertheless, the senior center demonstrated he can still be a valuable piece of the bench. Carlton did a great job of beating out Providence players for reobunds and flashed his ability to score in the low post, even adding a few foul shots for good measure. Add the blocks, and Carlton showed he can be a force in short bursts when he matches up well against fellow bigs. If Carlton continues utilizing his skills well and play with energy off the bench, he can make the Huskies better on both ends and help the team out when teammates are in foul trouble.